The invention relates to wrenches and, more particularly, to a ratcheting adjustable wrench.
It will be appreciated that many different types of wrenches are known including box wrenches, adjustable wrenches and ratcheting wrenches. Adjustable wrenches typically comprise a handle supporting a fixed jaw. A movable jaw is supported on the handle/fixed jaw such that it can move towards and away from the fixed jaw. By adjusting the distance between the fixed and movable jaws, the wrench can grip a range of fastener sizes. One common mechanism for moving the movable jaw is a knurled screw supported on the handle/fixed jaw that engages a rack on the movable jaw. Adjustable wrenches provide the benefit of being able to be used on a variety of different types and sizes of fasteners. One limitation of adjustable wrenches is that it is often necessary to adjust and seat the wrench on the fastener, turn the fastener a partial turn, remove the wrench from the fastener, readjust and reseat the wrench on the fastener and repeat the process. As a result, traditional adjustable wrenches can be cumbersome to use in some applications.
Box-type wrenches typically include an elongated rigid handle having an open box on one end and a closed box on the other end. The boxes are dimensioned to closely receive a particular size fastener. One advantage of a box wrench is that it is very simple to use and provides a fixed engagement between the fastener and the wrench. Because the wrench is size specific, however, it is necessary for a user to have a set of wrenches to accommodate fasteners of different sizes. Organizing, maintaining and using multiple wrenches may be inconvenient. Even with a set of wrenches, the user may find fasteners in sizes that are not well matched to the sizes of wrenches in a particular set. Moreover, like adjustable wrenches, it is often necessary when using box-type wrenches to seat the wrench on the fastener, turn the fastener a partial turn, remove the wrench from the fastener, reseat the wrench on the fastener and repeat the process.
Ratchet wrenches are known where a socket is ratcheted to a handle such that the wrench can tighten or loosen a fastener without removing the wrench from the fastener. Ratchet wrenches may be embodied in combination with a box-type wrench or a socket wrench where the sockets are removably attached to the ratchet handle. These types of wrenches make the operation of the wrench less cumbersome in certain applications because the wrench does not have to be removed from the fastener for multiple turns. One limitation of these wrenches is that like box-type wrenches, these wrenches are not adjustable such that a set of wrenches or sockets is required in order for the wrench to be used on different size fasteners.
Ratcheting adjustable wrenches are also known. These wrenches attempt to combine the convenience of the ratcheting and adjustability functions in a single tool. Combining these two functions has proved difficult, resulting in tools that are relatively complex and may fail when large torques are applied. The complexity of the known devices makes the tools difficult and expensive to manufacture.
Thus, an improved ratcheting adjustable wrench is desired.